


Field assessment

by Florchis



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:20:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29302590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Florchis/pseuds/Florchis
Summary: Fitz and Simmons fail their field assessments and Trip comforts them.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons/Antoine Triplett
Comments: 8
Kudos: 7





	Field assessment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zuziuchna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zuziuchna/gifts).



> Hello everyone, the Valentine gifts keep on coming!
> 
> Written for the prompt: “Well, fork them. I think you’re great.””.

The apartment is uncharacteristically quiet. Trip pauses on the threshold, a bit spooked.

He has lived in noisy places before- his college residence, mostly, but the people in Operations, even if disciplined, also need to let their energy and frustration out some way, and that’s usually with either loud sex or louder work outs at 5 am. But living with Fitz and Jemma has made him use to different kind of noises- machines whirring and liquids burbling and gadgets chirping at him almost in welcome, and the constant banter between them that Trip could listen for hours without getting bored, even if he only understands like a third of it.

There are also no weird smells or nothing that looks on the verge of catching fire, and that almost worries him more.

“Fitz? Simmons? You guys home?”

“In here,” Jemma’s voice comes from the kitchen, and Trip makes quick work of his jacket and his shoes before going to them. 

They are sitting on two of the kitchen's tablestools, Fitz closed off enough to make him look like a ball, and Jemma leaning towards him, murmuring at a rapid speed.

“Hello, loves.” Fitz doesn’t even acknowledge his greeting, and that makes the hairs of Trip’s arms stand on end. Jemma instead smiles at him and accepts willingly the kiss Trip places on her hair. “Everything okay?”

For all answer, Jemma pushes onto his hand a piece of paper she was holding on hers- it’s an official S.H.I.E.L.D. document, and Trip scans it quickly: the words ‘Jemma Anne Simmons’, ‘failed field assessment’ and ‘not cleared for combat’ stand out.

“What is this?” he asks, trying to keep his voice leveled. He didn’t know they were going to take the test. He didn’t even know they were interested in being on the field at all!

Fitz huffs, and when he moves his head Trip can see that he has been crying. His heart churns.

“Proof that we are not good enough,” Fitz spits out bitterly, and Trip sees that he is waving around a letter very similar to Jemma’s.

“Hey, none of that,” objects Trip, his uncertainties quickly taking the passenger seat when he sees how upset they both are. Jemma sniffles and he holds her against his chest. “You are both great. If you don’t want to believe me, but you should because I love you both dearly, you should believe all of your PhDs combined.”

Fitz deflates, his back a curve so pronounced that his face is almost touching his knees. Trip counts to ten before moving the hand that is holding Jemma’s cheek to touch his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“What is going on here? I didn’t even know you two were taking the assessment.”

Jemma grips his shirt into a tight ball inside her fist, but doesn’t say anything. Trip keeps on petting her back while he waits for an answer from Fitz.

“You are leaving, and we are not good enough to go with you. That’s what’s happening.”

Jemma holds onto his waist so tightly that he has trouble breathing, or maybe that’s because of the shock. Of course. He is so used to getting assignments and moving from a dangerous mission to another that he didn’t stop to consider how hard that would be on his partners, especially an assignment that is supposed to be long term like this one for Agent Coulson’s mobile unit. He hadn’t expected them to want to follow him into the field, when they have been vocal before- especially Fitz- about how much they love the comfort and the safety of the lab. He should have known better.

He wishes he could say to them that he will turn down the assignment, but he can’t without defecting from S.H.I.E.L.D. completely. Even if he were willing to do that, Trip knows neither of them would let him. He also wishes he could say that he will be fine, that nothing dangerous will happen, but he also can’t promise that. They try to not lie to each other, and he is not going to start now.

Instead, he holds tight onto Jemma, trying to pour onto his embrace all the affection he feels for them, and waits till Fitz has finished drying up his eyes with the sleeves of his jumper. 

“Come here, Fitz.”

Fitz does not fight him, and leaves his stool to hug them from the side, one arm on Jemma’s back and one on Trip’s. It’s as good as it gets, having them both close, and Trip considers for a moment how it would feel to have them both in the field with him, if his desire for them to be happy and fulfilled could ever overcome his gutural need for them to be safe.

But there is something he can do about that, besides always being there to protect them, because he might not always be there to protect them.

“How about this,” he begins while he pushes Jemma’s hair from her pretty face, “I won’t be leaving for another couple of weeks. We will train together during that time, and I will leave a regime for you to follow, if you want. Maybe with that, next time we can all be assigned together.”

It’s a long shot, he knows; it would require them to get very good very fast, and even with that, it still would be a matter of luck. But even if it never works the way they want, he will still feel better knowing that Jemma can aim a gun and Fitz can throw a punch.

“Or maybe next time you will be assigned to protect us scientists, the actual heroes of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Fitz grumbles at him, and Jemma laughs, and Trip loves them so much, he leans down to kiss them both. 

He still wakes them up at 6am the next morning. 

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of LLF Comment Project, whose goal is to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites:
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
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> This author replies to comments (but it might take a while). If you'd rather not get a reply, please add *whispers* to your comment.



End file.
